In the making of various models, such as model airplanes, the components being assembled are often attached to a board or table. This is typically done using conventional straight pins having an elongated shank and a relatively small head. Although the pins can sometimes be manually pushed through the components into the underlying board, it is also common to use a tack hammer to pound them in.
When it is desired to remove the model from the board, the pins must be pulled from the model and the board. It is often difficult to accomplish this manually, and so this task may be carried out with a pair of pliers. During work on the model, pins sometimes fall into relatively inaccessible areas adjacent one or more components of the model, and they can be difficult to retrieve.